Issue Number 496            December 6, 2004

CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE

  1. Updated: CDC continues to supplement its website with information related to the influenza vaccine shortage
  2. Teleconference on immunization coalition advocacy scheduled for December 14
  3. Updated: IAC posts revised immunization and hepatitis parent-education pieces to its website
  4. Official CDC Health Advisory issued about revised recommendations for malaria prophylaxis in Dominican Republic
  5. CDC reports on the expansion of the AFP surveillance system to global surveillance of other infectious diseases

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ABBREVIATIONS: AAFP, American Academy of Family Physicians; AAP, American Academy of Pediatrics; ACIP, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices; CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; IAC, Immunization Action Coalition; MMWR, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; NIP, National Immunization Program; VIS, Vaccine Information Statement; VPD, vaccine-preventable disease; WHO, World Health Organization.
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December 6, 2004
UPDATED: CDC CONTINUES TO SUPPLEMENT ITS WEBSITE WITH INFORMATION RELATED TO THE INFLUENZA VACCINE SHORTAGE

CDC recently updated its website with three significant documents related to the influenza vaccine shortage. Following are links to the three.

(1) On November 30, CDC issued a revised version of the "Patient Screening Form for Health Care Providers Offering FluMist Live Attenuated Intranasal Influenza Vaccine during the 2004-05 Flu Season." The form has "Revised" in the upper right corner; if you have copies of the older version of the form, discard them, and use the revised version instead. To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the revised form, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/flugallery/pdf/flumistscreeningform.pdf

(2) On December 2, CDC organized a variety of its individual influenza education pieces into the "Flu Prevention Toolkit: Selected Printable Resources and Supplemental Materials." The toolkit includes patient-education posters, flyers, and fact sheets (some in languages in addition to English), as well as fact sheets for health professionals.

To access an overview of the toolkit's contents, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/toolkit/resources.htm

To access the toolkit's contents in ready-to-print (PDF) format, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/toolkit/pdf/flutoolkit.pdf

(3) CDC added several new question-and-answer modules to the influenza web page "Questions & Answers: 2004-05 Vaccine Supply." Information was added about nationwide supply, allocation of vaccine among states and territories, and distribution to providers. To access the information, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/0405vaccinesupply.htm

For ongoing information about new and updated additions to CDC's Influenza web section, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/whatsnew.htm
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December 6, 2004
TELECONFERENCE ON IMMUNIZATION COALITION ADVOCACY SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 14

The National Immunization Coalition TA [technical assistance] Network has scheduled a teleconference on immunization coalition advocacy for 1PM ET on December 14. The network is a program of the Center for Health Communication, Academy for Educational Development.

The teleconference facilitator is Debbie McCune Davis, program director, The Arizona Partnership for Immunization (TAPI). TAPI advocates for immunization funding, expansion of school requirements, and support for the Arizona State Immunization Information System.

Learning objectives of the teleconference include the following:

  1. Identify coalition characteristics that are essential to successful advocacy activities
  2. Learn to deliver an effective message to policymakers that will improve relationships, increase immunization resources, strengthen vaccination policies, and support immunization information systems

To register for the teleconference, email Katherine Shrout at kshrout@aed.org In your email, include this message: "Sign me up for the Advocacy TA call."
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December 6, 2004
UPDATED: IAC POSTS REVISED IMMUNIZATION AND HEPATITIS PARENT-EDUCATION PIECES TO ITS WEBSITE

IAC recently updated two of its parent-education pieces. Details follow.

(1) The two-page brochure "Chickenpox isn't just an itchy, contagious rash" has been reformatted and updated; it now includes information advising parents that it is possible for a vaccinated child to develop a mild case of the disease.

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the revised brochure, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4070chi.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version of it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4070chi.htm

(2) IAC made minor revisions to the one-page piece "Hepatitis B vaccine is imperative for families adopting from abroad." Written by a pediatrician who specializes in adoption medicine, the piece stresses the need for families undertaking international adoption to be vaccinated against hepatitis B and explains some of the issues involved in adopting a child chronically infected with hepatitis B virus.

To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the revised piece, go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/4153adop.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version of it, go to:
http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/4153adop.htm
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December 6, 2004
OFFICIAL CDC HEALTH ADVISORY ISSUED ABOUT REVISED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MALARIA PROPHYLAXIS IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

On November 30, CDC's Health Alert Network issued an Official CDC Health Advisory in response to recent reports of at least four cases of malaria in the Dominican Republic. The advisory is reprinted below in its entirety.

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This is an official CDC HEALTH ADVISORY
Distributed via Health Alert Network
Tuesday, November 30, 2004, 3:15PM ET

REVISED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MALARIA PROPHYLAXIS IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

CDC has received reports of 2 cases of malaria in November 2004 in U.S. travelers to the Dominican Republic whose visits were limited to Punta Cana (La Altagracia Province) and San Francisco de Macoris (Duarte Province). During the same period at least 2 more cases have been reported in European travelers who visited Punta Cana. CDC has recommended malaria prophylaxis for travelers to rural areas in the Dominican Republic but not for travel to resorts. In light of these reports, as a precautionary measure, CDC is expanding the recommendations to include chloroquine prophylaxis for travelers to all areas in La Altagracia Province, including the Punta Cana area, and also to all areas of Duarte Province. The Ministry of Health in the Dominican Republic has implemented malaria control measures, including intensified surveillance, prompt case management, and intensive mosquito control activities. CDC will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates on these recommendations.

Healthcare providers needing assistance with diagnosis or management of suspected cases of malaria should call the CDC Malaria Hotline: (770) 488-7788 (M-F, 8AM-4:30PM ET). For emergency consultation after hours, call: (770) 488-7100 and request to speak with a CDC Malaria Branch clinician.

Additional information about malaria and its prevention is available at http://www.cdc.gov/malaria and http://www.cdc.gov/travel

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To access the advisory from CDC's Health Alert Network, go to:
http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/HAN/ArchiveSys/ViewMsgV.asp?AlertNum=00217
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December 6, 2004
CDC REPORTS ON THE EXPANSION OF THE AFP SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM TO GLOBAL SURVEILLANCE OF OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES

CDC published "Acute Flaccid Paralysis Surveillance Systems and Other Diseases, 2003-2004" in the December 3 issue of MMWR. A summary made available to the press is reprinted below.

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The acute flaccid paralysis [AFP] and measles surveillance systems have the potential to serve as the foundation for an expanded global surveillance system that includes other infectious diseases.

This report describes the current status of global AFP surveillance, including [its] expansion or . . . use as a model of surveillance systems in 131 [66 percent] of 198 countries . . . to include reporting of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases. As poliomyelitis is eradicated, AFP surveillance systems in these and other countries might be further expanded or used [as] a model to improve the detection of and response to other diseases. This approach might encourage development of additional partnerships for global disease detection that will also help maintain the quality of future AFP and measles surveillance.

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To access a web-text (HTML) version of the article, go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5347a5.htm

To access a ready-to-copy (PDF) version of this issue of MMWR, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5347.pdf

To receive a FREE electronic subscription to MMWR (which includes new ACIP statements), go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html

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Editorial Information

  • Editor-in-Chief
    Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH
  • Managing Editor
    John D. Grabenstein, RPh, PhD
  • Associate Editor
    Sharon G. Humiston, MD, MPH
  • Writer/Publication Coordinator
    Taryn Chapman, MS
    Courtnay Londo, MA
  • Style and Copy Editor
    Marian Deegan, JD
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    Arkady Shakhnovich
    Jermaine Royes
  • Contributing Writer
    Laurel H. Wood, MPA
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    Kayla Ohlde

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